fiat

American  

[fee-aht, -at, fahy-uht, -at] / ˈfi ɑt, -æt, ˈfaɪ ət, -æt /

noun

• fiats
  plural

1. an authoritative decree, sanction, or order.

   a royal fiat.

   Synonyms:

   ukase, diktat, mandate, ruling, directive, authorization

2. a fixed form of words containing the word fiat, by which a person in authority gives sanction, or authorization.

3. an arbitrary decree or pronouncement, especially by a person or group of persons having absolute authority to enforce it.

   The king ruled by fiat.

---

fiat British  

/ ˈfaɪət, -æt /

noun

1. official sanction; authoritative permission

2. an arbitrary order or decree

3. literary any command, decision, or act of will that brings something about

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fiats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fiat

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin: “let it be done,” 3rd-person singular present subjunctive of fierī “to become”

Explanation

You might think a fiat is just an Italian car, but it actually means a legal, authoritative decision that has absolute sanction. From the Latin for "let it be done," the word fiat is a binding edict issued by a person in command. It can gain an almost Biblical aura of authority, like a movie Pharaoh saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done." So let it be a fiat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fiat fiats

Renewed investor concern that high government deficits could erode the value of fiat currencies is one reason behind the shift in thinking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

“We were slaves to the fiat system,” she said, “but Bitcoin brought hope back into my life, hope that I can retire someday.”

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

Investors, politicians and economists said they wanted a world of fiat currencies with floating exchange rates, and they’re getting it good and hard in Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

He noted the erosion of trust in the fiat system, the unprecedented money printing and the accumulation of sovereign debt.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

The ancient, giant mahogany trees, all the trees, the game, everything of the forest was being destroyed, and the land was forced to lie fiat, he said, and bare as the palm of his hand.

From "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

Once spoken, the fiats cannot change without wounding the leader’s credibility.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2022

Yoo makes it clear that he thinks such executive fiats would be unconstitutional.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2020

President Dwight Eisenhower, who had put himself above the fray, began to fight back with information leaks and administrative fiats.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2020

With aristocratic privileges created and enforced by government fiats there were few meaningful opportunities for the common citizen to advance their business interests.

From Economist ● Sep. 2, 2013

There is something exceedingly interesting in the ceremonious attendant upon the execution of one of these potent fiats: the manner is as follows.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, December 11, 1841 by Various